Young Writers Society

***warden***

‘Well I don’t care if everyone is having their funding cut; we are changing people’s lives. We are the only thing standing between them and death.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘Well then cut someone else’s funding. This place won’t survive this.’ The voice on the other end of the phone was becoming irritating. ‘Well I will send the employees to you when they start asking questions about their cut pay. Good bye Mr Winchester.’ I slammed down the phone and let out a deep breath. Thank god for this. For a long time now I have been looking for an excuse to cut the Domorts resources so I could afford to remodel my office. I hit a button on the phone, there was a long irritating beep then Stacy my assistant’s voice sounded out through the small speaker.

‘Yes sir?’ she asked

‘Can you get me the paperwork to reduce pay and let the kitchen know that we will only be supplying one meal a day for the patients from now on? Our funding has been cut.’

‘Right away sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?’

‘Could you get Mr Field on the phone?’

‘The renovator sir?’

‘Yes. Tell him I need to talk.’ I let go of the button and smiled to myself. This was shaping up to be a great day. I leaned back in my chair, gripping the still steaming cup of coffee in my hands. There was a loud crash as the door flew open causing me to flinch. Hot coffee pooled on my chest, soaking through my thin shirt and burning my chest. ‘Bloody hell don’t you know how to knock? I will be sending you the bill for this you ignorant hag.’ I cursed some more as I got up and stomped over to a cupboard, unbuttoning my shirt in the process. There was a sob from behind me. I turned towards the noise. A nurse stood in the doorway rubbing at her tear stained cheeks. Stacy was fussing over the lady, trying to comfort her. I turned back to the cupboard opening the doors and searching through the selection of expensive designer shirts until I found the one I was looking for. I took it from the black velvet hanger and pulled it on. I turned back to Stacy and the distraught nurse, still buttoning my shirt. ‘well you’re here now, you might as well tell me what the hell has your nickers in a twist.’ The nurse started taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. God she was beyond irritating.

‘Blood. Hide fear. Can’t be seen. Gone.’ I sighed, quickly becoming angry.

‘English. Use English you stupid girl. What the bloody hell happened?’ she took a shaky breath. ‘NOW!’

‘I was going to give Mr Stewart his medication,’ I cut her off

‘Get to the point.’

‘He was ripped apart.’ She began to cry again and buried her face in Stacy’s shoulder..

‘Ripped apart?’ What did this girl take him for? ‘Bloody hell.’ I sighed, anger raging inside me. ‘Send security up to meet me at the room, tell the other nurses to keep the patients in the reck room and to stay away from the second floor, and for the love of god get that woman under control.’ Stacy guided the nurse out and I slammed the door behind them. The phone began its incessant blaring. I ripped it off the hook and yelled into it. ‘WHAT?’

‘Mr Lantern? It’s Mr Field, you wanted me to call you.’ I slammed the phone back on the hook and stormed away. I marched to the security room and flung the door open, startling the two workers inside. They leapt to their feet, saluting me. I grunted in response. Their pale blue outfits were stained with grease and old coffee stains, only made more visible by the shirt stretching over their large and ever growing stomachs. ‘Bring up the security footage for Patient 1 from last night.’ I ordered. They hesitated. ‘NOW!’ I roared. They leapt into action, punching keys into their computers, silently hunting for the file. I tapped my foot impatiently. After what seemed like forever, they opened up the video. I leant over their shoulders and they hit “play”.

They watched the nurse leave the room and Patient 1 lay down to rest. They fast forward to the moment he leapt to his feet, eyes alighted with crazed fear. They watched the skin being ripped open the blood burst from his wounds. They could hear the screams of agony, bloodcurdling cries of desperation, cut off from the rest of the building. The two guards bolted from the room, hands covering their mouths. I remained, frozen in shock. Vomit crept up my throat. My hands were shaking, but I couldn’t look away. A wet, sucking sound ripped through the speakers as the body was ripped apart, a mass of flesh and blood.

I staggered away from the desk, falling beside the trash can. I retched, the stink of bile and acid filling the tiny room. My mouth and throat burned from the stomach acid, and I slowly dragged myself to my feet, eyes unwillingly falling back on the gory scene. There were pools of blood slowly running to the base of the wall, leaving a stain of red behind. I stared, swallowing more vomit. The room was perfectly flat, one of the few things I ensured despite my many budget cuts. The blood rippled, and began dripping from mid-air. A silent scream hovered on my lips. Slowly, the blood was smeared on the wall, a curving line with an unmistakable shape. S. The blood ran in tiny -;0[p\ lines, joining different parts of the crimson letter. More followed, until at last, a chilling message lay scrawled on the wall.

Start at the beginning,

Finish at the end.

One who protests,

Summoned our best,

Who seeks revenge.

Through blood will they amend.

I jerked away again, the scream filling the room. I sprinted to the door, almost crashing into the guards that had fled beforehand. ‘Get that footage and disks and send them to my office immediately.’ They nodded and ducked back into the room. I hurried to my office, jumping at every sound, every moving shadow of the nurses patrolling the rooms. They looked at me as if I had gone mad. I ignored them and burst into my office, summoning Stacy. She came in meekly, afraid. “Yes Sir?’

‘Get every fucking paranormalist on the phone this instant. Tell them to get their arse here immediately, and that I have the biggest case they could ever fucking want.’ She nodded, paling and hurried out of the room. I collapsed, the shock catching up to me, and fainted.

***Izzy***

‘Now I know that there are rumours going around about what happened to Mr Stewart last night but I am here to put them to rest.’ Mr Lantern looked out over the crowd gathered in the reck room. He looked slightly greenish and something else I couldn’t put my finger on. I leaned over to will and nudged his shoulder.

‘Would you say he is scared or constipated?’ I asked trying not to laugh. Will stifled a laugh himself.

‘Defiantly constipated.’ I broke into a loud fit of giggling and Will followed soon after. Mr Lantern glared at us from his spot on the makeshift stage before continuing.

‘I can assure you that I didn’t rip him apart with my teeth.’ He started to death stare a group of younger nurses who burst into laughter at the mention of the rumour. ‘I can also tell you that though most of you believe he was transferred to a new facility last night, he was not.’ The young nurses abruptly stopped laughing and stared up at hm. The room was silent but for the static from the microphone. ‘Sadly last night Mr Stewart passed away. I can now tell you that he died in his sleep and that it was peaceful. His family has been contacted and have already retrieved his body. The cause of death is believed to be a heart attack.’ Lanterns eyes drift over the crowd before settling on an older nurse who is silently laughing to herself. ‘What’s so funny?’ fear is thick in his voice. The nurse, no longer able to contain her laughter, burst into screeching hysterics. ‘Excuse me. I ask you a question.’ Lanterns voice was, dripping with hate and anger and the nurse abruptly stopped laughing

‘The only thing true about that speech is that his heart was attacked, only not in the way your implying, no his heart was ripped from his chest and thrown across the room.’ An eerie silence settled over the room. Lantern began a nervous laugh.

‘Miss I don’t know what your implying, I watched to footage myself, Mr Stewart died of a simple heart attack.’

‘LIAR!!’ the nurse screamed, urgent. ‘Your lies will get us all killed. I saw him with my own eyes, merely a puddle on the floor. He doesn’t possess a face anymore. There was writing on the wall.’ She is talking so fast I can barely hear what she is saying. ‘Start at the beginning, finish at the end.’ She is streaking the words. Her voice sounds distant, alien. ‘One who protests, summoned our best,’ tears start to fall down my cheeks but I don’t notice them. ‘Who seeks revenge through blood will they amend.’ I can feel my body start to shake but the nurse isn’t finished. Her eyes find me in the crowd. Her big black eyes. ‘The angles from hell started with him but will finish with you.’ My legs start to tremble, unable to hold my weight. I feel Wills hand take mine and he pulls me to face him. At that moment the nurse stops and the room falls silent aside from my sobs. I stare into Wills bright blue eyes and the world drifts away.

‘Just look at me Iz’. Everything will be fine, I promise.’ I stare deeper into his eyes, so full of worry. I take a deep breath and he pulls me in for a long hug. When he finally lets go I look back up at Mr Lantern who looks like he just threw up.

‘Please people,’ he yells into the microphone. ‘Please calm down. There is no such thing as angles from hell just like there is no such thing as ghosts and vampires.’ He looks like he is about to say something else but at that moment there is a knock on the door. ‘Come in.’ Mr Lantern’s secretary Stacy walks in.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt sir but one of your paranormal investigators is here.’

******

‘Here, drink this; it will make you feel better.’ I take the steaming cup of tea from Will and pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders. Will sits down next to me, the harsh break room lights bleeding the colour from his blue eyes.

‘Thanks.’ I put the cup to my lips and take a long sip, the taste of honey and cinnamon lingering in my mouth. I place the cup on the small, wooden table in front of me and turn to him. ‘What’s going on Will?’ he sighs

‘I don’t know Iz. I honestly don’t. If I did I would have told you by now but I think it has something to do with what 13 said the other day.’

‘What, why?’

‘She said demons were coming for her because she ran away.’

‘You’re not beginning to believe her are you?’ it makes sense but I can’t accept it, not until I have more proof.

‘I don’t know what else to believe but it’s the only answer I can think of.’

‘It isn’t possible. Demons aren’t real Will.’

‘Of course they aren’t real but do you have a better idea. What about what the nurse said today?’

‘She was probably just high on drugs from the supply closet. They can do weird things to your head.’ I was scrambling for an answer, any answer that would make more sense than demons.

‘Then why are they hiding the truth? Why keep it from us if there was nothing to hide and how do you explain the paranormal investigator?’

‘I don’t know Will.’ I start to sob again. Tears flowing freely down my face. He grabs me and pulls me into a hug, resting his chin on my head. ‘I don’t know what’s happening anymore Will.’ The tears flow faster, soaking his shirt.

‘Tomorrow I’m going to watch that video. We deserve the truth.’ I lift my head and look into his eyes. I can see there everything he doesn’t say. I can see the worry, the care, that he would do anything for me but above all, I see the love. It shines through him like it’s the only thing keeping him alive. ‘We are going to get through this, together Iz.’ He tucks a piece of loose hair behind my ear. ‘There is something they aren’t telling us and we have to figure it out, together.’ A look of determination is plastered on his face. My eyes stay locked with his, despair filling me. I cannot let him love me, not after what I’ve done.

*** Patient 2 ***

‘See you later Izzy.’ I said, smiling warmly. I slipped my medication into my mouth, swallowing them dry. She gave me a weary smile in return before leaving the room. My gaze lingered on the door for a moment, and then the lights flickered and went out. I smiled to myself, lying back on my bed. Soon enough I would no longer be here. That is, if I didn’t have one of my “fits” again. I was looking forward to leaving this place. It was nice enough, especially Izzy, but I wanted to get out there and write. I had my little notes of course, thanks to Izzy, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to write properly, to lose myself in the grasp of the words as they spilled onto the page. Writing had saved me from spending a lifetime in here. But no more. I grinned again, closing my eyes and drifting into sleep.

Screams echoed down the hallway. A person, bound by invisible chains. Screaming as his skin is ripped from the bones. He raised his face. Will. Laughter, it filled the silence between screams. Blood splattered the brightly coloured wallpaper, decorated in ducks. He was lashed at again. More screams. More laughter. Izzy, sobbing above a corpse. Will. He lay there, in his own blood. The ducks grinned down at them, laughing mercilessly. A woman, with violet eyes stood, tugging on Izzy’s arm. More blood. The laughter was filling my head, making me want to explode. Corpses, littering the hallways. Words, undecipherable. Izzy running. Shadows on the walls. Trapped. The laughter was louder, a screeching sound filling my ears. A splattering of blood, more screams. Darkness.

I woke holding my pen in an iron grip. Words carved into my chest, blood running down my torso. I was gasping in pain. I could hear it. The laughter, ringing in my ears. Shadows, darker than my room danced on the walls. I rolled over, unconsciously protecting my message. Talons ripped my skin. Hands pounded my back, crushing ribs and spine alike. They were laughing, that hideous, malicious laugh. I was screaming, a distant sound. Whit hot pain, unbearable. They dug their claws into my arms and legs, yanking on them. They were ripped from my torso with a wet creaking sound. I screamed. They ripped chunks of hair and scalp from my skull, baring the pale bone beneath. I could see one of them, hovering above me, grinning. My stomach lurched at the hideous sight of its’ face. It raised it scaly hand, bringing it down with a crunch. Always darkness, never light.